The Garces Foundation gala is a showcase of the region's gastronomy scene, but what is most important is what the fundraiser supports. The Garces Foundation was founded in memory of a butcher named Felipe, who while working at the restaurant Tinto, succumbed to thyroid cancer in 2010. The Garces Foundation ensures that the immigrant community has access to and knows where to find the resources needed to live healthy, educated, nutritious lives. They believe everyone should have access to the affordable healthcare and educational resources they need.

Over 20 restaurants and chefs volunteered their time to not only to share samples of their flagship cuisines, but to support Garces and his mission. Hundreds of people came for the festivities and participated in silent auctions and two huge live auctions which raised thousands of dollars.

In the first auction, bidders had a chance to have a meal prepared by three James Beard Award winners: Michael Solomon, Marc Vetri, and Jose Garces. The second auction was the chance to participate in a private cooking class for several people taught by James Beard Award-winning chefs Cristina Martinez, Greg Vernick and Jose Garces. Each chef will teach one of their signature dishes. The class will be held in Chef Garces' brand new foodlab and private cooking studio, Shokutsu.

After a decade of wearing many hats both in cooking and with the foundation, his recent AL DÍA Archetype Award speech speaks volumes on the greatness of the Iron Chef. “The culinary field and the hospitality world is such a journey, and to be able to do it for so long and to be able to continue to do it and inspire and mentor others, it’s truly an honor for myself,” 

During the event, we ran into City Representative Sheila Hess; President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Jennifer Rodriguez; and NBC 10 Reporters Miguel Martinez-Valle and Frances Wang.